


Tonya Stark

by shadowgrl94



Series: Try to Remember (To Forget) [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Antonia Stark - Freeform, Bisexual Tony Stark, But this time he's even creepier, Female!Tony Stark, Gen, Obadiah is still a villain, Sexist Language, Sexual Harassment, She prefers 'Tonya', Struggles of a female business woman tm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-03
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-10-21 10:48:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17641337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowgrl94/pseuds/shadowgrl94
Summary: Pain flares from her chest. She looks down to watch as blots of blood bloom on her white button up. Yet, she could still feel the bulletproof vest constricting her chest. Tonya looks up to the sky, confused. The bright blaring sun makes her squint which makes her cough. Her eyes are heavy. The last thing she thinks before the light goes out is that she hopes it isn’t Rhodey that finds her body.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is just my take on the MCU version where Tony Stark is a woman. 
> 
> I'm trying to keep it the same to the movie as much as possible just the POV being from a woman in Tony Stark's position. Although, there will be some changes because duh this is fanfiction.

 

 

**Kunar Province, Afghanistan**

 

ACDC screams through the speakers of a small Sony stereo between two armed soldiers in the front of the U.S. military humvee. Antonia Stark sits in the back right-hand side. From the corner of her eye, she sees the young soldier beside her glance at her yet again. The silence was awkward as hell.

 

“I feel like you’re driving me to a court-martial. This is crazy! What did I do?” She turns her head in time to see the young man trying to hide his shy smile. “What, are you not allowed to talk?”

 

“We can talk ma’am.” The boy answers still not looking at her.

 

“Oh, I see. So it’s personal?”

 

“No, you just intimidate him.” The driver spoke up. A teasing smile of her own graces her previously stern face.

 

“Fantastic! You’re a woman! Good to know there’s a little less testosterone here. I honestly couldn’t tell from the get up which I guess is what we’re going for here right? You have excellent bone structure though. Army strong.” The guy next to her tries to stifle his giggle. “Was that weird to say? Come on, it’s okay to laugh. I won’t bite…much.”

 

“Is it cool if I take a picture with you?” The younger one blurts out.

 

“Yes! It’s cool. Very cool.” He fumbles with his pockets before getting out a digital camera, handing it to the guy in the front passenger seat. He leans towards her like an overeager puppy. “Now, I don’t want to see this on your Myspace page.” He puts his hand up between them making the peace sign which is so cliche she barely restrains herself from rolling her eyes. She simpers at the camera. 

 

“Come on. Hurry up. Don’t change any settings just click it.” She hears before something in front of them blows up. The force of the blast has them all rocking in their seats. Thick smoke blocks their view of the road. Gunfire erupts. The female soldier starts shouting orders at the man next to her, but Stark can’t decipher the words. She kicks open her door and hops out only to fall on the ground, most likely dead.

 

“Jimmy! Stay with Stark!” The other soldier yells as he also leaves the vehicle. The young one, Jimmy, grabs her arm tugging her down.

 

“Stay down!” She complies immediately. Something hits the other soldier too causing his body to go limp and slide off the vehicle. She jumps back. “Son of a bitch!” Jimmy yells. He readies his rifle and opens his door.

 

“Wait Wait Wait. Give me a gun!” He ignores her, closes the door behind him.

 

“Stay here!” He orders and then the moment he turns away, he's gone too. The debris punctures the side of the humvee. Her ears started to ring. The panicky part of her brain is at war. Listen to the soldier and stay or run for cover. The vehicle in front of them is draped with dead bodies. There is no one there to protect her anymore. She decides to make a break for it. She flips off her shoes and leaps out of the vehicle. She runs away just in time for the next bomb to hit the humvee, causing a blaze.

 

She dives behind some rocks and shrubbery, taking out her cellphone. She hopes her jumbled texts are coherent enough to make sense to Rhodey. Something fell to the right of her making a distinctly familiar whining sound. She turns to see the Stark Industries logo staring her in the face. She jumped up to run to no avail as the blast sends her flying into the air, landing with a thud on the unforgiving sand.

Pain flares from her chest. She looks down to watch as blots of blood bloom on her white button up. Yet,she could still feel the bulletproof vest constricting her chest. She looks up to the sky, confused. The bright blaring sun makes her squint which makes her cough. Her eyes are heavy. The last thing she thinks before the light goes out is that she hopes it isn’t Rhodey that finds her body.

 

**Las Vegas, 36 Hours Earlier**

 

In the hotel’s ballroom projectors displayed a close up of one of Antonia Stark’s magazine covers.

“Antonia ‘Tonya’ Stark. The daughter of legendary weapons developer, Howard Stark, stole the spotlight with her brilliant and unique mind. She built her first engine at age six and at seventeen she graduated summa cum laude from MIT. Then…the passing of a titan. Howard Stark’s lifelong friend and ally, Obadiah Stane, stepped in to fill the gap left by the legendary founder. Until he made the risky decision to hand over the reins to twenty-one year old, Tonya Stark. It proved to be a beneficial change. With the keys to the kingdom, Tonya ushered in a new era of her father’s legacy. Creating smarter weapons, advanced robotics, satellite targeting. Today, Tonya Stark has changed the face of the weapons industry by ensuring freedom and protecting America and her interests around the globe.” There was polite applause as the lights now shined on her best friend in his military blues. She clapped the loudest from her spot in the back near the exit instead of her assigned seat beside Obie.

 

“As liaison to Stark Industries, I’ve had the unique privilege of serving with a real patriot.” Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes stated. “Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my honor to present this year’s apogee award to my friend, Miss Antonia Stark.” The crowd applauded again as the light swiveled to her table where she was absent. Rhodey squinted his eyes into the dark. “Tonya?” Showtime. The businesswoman pushed herself up and strutted into the light.Tonya took the trophy from Rhodes, giving him a big smooch on the cheek staining it red with her lipstick.

 

“One minute you’re off to the little girl’s room and the next you’re winning an award.” The audience chuckled. “I’d like to say that it’s an honor to receive this award. My employees inspire me each day as do my haters. Sometimes they’re even one and the same.” laughter bubbles up once again. “Alright let’s get this show on the road so we can get to what we all really want to do. Gamble!” applause rang out louder this time to join the laughter.

 

“Thank you for not blowing me off this time.” Rhodey murmurs to her. 

 

“Aw come on Platypus. For the last time, I wasn’t trying to stand you up. There was legit traffic that time.”

 

“Right and I suppose the fraternal twins in the limo with you didn’t help much.” She smirks at him in response. She handed the award to Obie when they pass by him as she’s wont to do before heading back to the entrance. Her bodyguards step out from the shadows of the ballroom, flanking them. In her head, she sighs in relief. Glad that was over.

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Don’t be late.” Rhodey waggles a finger at her in mock seriousness.

 

“I won’t.” They stayed at the tables for an hour or two, blowing half a million before calling it quits. They are heading to the limo awaiting them outside when a voice calls out.

 

“Tonya Stark! Excuse me, Miss Stark!” shouted a voice. Happy Hogan, her friend, and loyal bodyguard turned to the speaker. “Christine Everhart, Vanity Fair magazine. I have a few questions.”

 

“She’s cute probably straight.” Tonya raised a manicured brow in challenge. She twirled around giving the reporter her own once over. She was also wearing a pantsuit but store brand. Her button up showing a bit of cleavage. She was curvy, blonde, and leggy. Definitely cute and most probably straight but Tonya worked with less.

 

“Okay. Go.” Tonya walks closer to the other woman but doesn’t look at her directly, dismissive.

 

“You’ve been called the Da Vinci of our time. What do you say to that?”

 

“Absolutely ridiculous. I don’t paint.”

 

“And what do you say about your other nickname? ‘The Mistress of Death’?” Everhart’s fake smile slips off her face. Tonya rolls her eyes like someone hasn’t tried to use this tactic before. Please.

 

“Let me guess Berkeley?” The reporter stands up a bit straighter.

 

“Brown actually.”

 

“My father had a philosophy: ‘peace means having a bigger stick than the other guy.’”

 

“That’s a great line coming from the guy selling the sticks.”

 

“My father helped defeat Nazis. He worked the Manhattan project. A lot of people, including your professors at Brown, would call that being a hero.”

 

“And a lot of people would also call that war profiteering.” Which that wasn’t but the media types either didn’t know that or ignored that in favor of a profit. Tonya found it funny how that worked.

 

“Tell me, do you plan to report on the millions we’ve saved by advancing medical technology or kept from starvation with our intelli-crops? All those breakthroughs come from military funding. But you’re not going to give them a mention because vilifying me to your audience is more profitable. ” Everhart purses her lips like she sucked on a lemon but determinedly continues.

 

“You ever lose an hour of sleep your whole life?”

 

“I’d be prepared to lose a few with you.” Everhart takes a tiny step back.

 

“I’m straight.”

 

“Sex is sex. Besides, haven’t you ever been curious? You’ve got to have read the gossip rags. I am very good.” She watched as the blonde bites her lip. After a moment, her recorder clicked off.

 

_Bingo._

__

 

**Malibu, California**

 

The 45 minutes to L.A.X. was spent making out on the ridiculously long couch like seats in her private jet. The other 30 minutes to Tonya's mansion was spent mapping out the length of the woman’s neck, and collarbones as her hand slipped into her panties. Tonya knew from past experiences that the partition between the driver’s seat and the cab wouldn’t lend any kind of privacy with how loud her partner moaned. She could imagine Happy’s bright red face and ears. This was another one for the “LGBT recruiter” tally chart. God, sometimes she loved being Tonya Stark.

Next thing she knew, they were falling into one of her many beds where she succeeded in rocking Christine Everhart’s world before she passed out post-coital. Tonya covered the woman up and left the room, naked as the day she was born, to her own bedroom and into the en suite to take a well-deserved bath.

“JARVIS, please notify Miss Potts that we have a guest whose clothes will be needing dry cleaning before she leaves.”

“Of course Madam. I must remind you that you are to be meeting Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes for your flight at 0800 to Afghanistan for your exhibition of the Jericho.” She nods along, lathering her face with some product Pepper must have ordered for her.

“Make sure they have the long flight essentials prepared for our arrival. How long is the deployment this time?”

“2.9 months madam.”

“Okay, let's restock some of honey bunny’s favorite American buys. Send it out under the usual name.” The speakers in the room let out a ping to show his acknowledgment. The lovely bath could last as long as her heart desired with her specially designed bath heater, but she grew bored quickly and was soon stepping into her walk-in closet.

Tonya had learned early on in her and Pepper’s work relationship that she should just let the other woman pick her clothes for meetings and business trips. Instead, she put on a long knitted shirt and leggings. To pass the time Tonya made herself breakfast and coffee, sitting out on the patio as she watched the sunrise through her holograms as she looked at some R&D proposals. The weaponry looked boring as they were upgrades of old models or ideas that the proposer thought were original but weren’t. There was one proposal she was quite interested in; biomechanical energy harvester. A device that wraps around the wearer’s knee and generates power using the same principle of a hybrid car that recycles energy by braking. She tags it to ensure she follows up on it. (https://tinyurl.com/yaxdr9s4)

In all fairness, she did try to avoid the workshop. Tonya knew that she’d inevitably end up losing track of time but she also really did not want to be around when her guest woke up. That would be awkward, and Tonya Stark didn’t do awkward very well. So she scampered off into her workshop. That’s where Pepper found her later working on one of the hotrods and listening to one of the mellower songs on her playlist.

 

_Sometimes I try to do things_

_and it doesn’t work out the way I want it to_

_and I get real frustrated_

 

Yeah, sing it dude.

_and like, I try hard to do it,_

_and I like, take my time,_

_but it just doesn't work out the way I want it to,_

_it's like I concentrate on it real hard,_

_but it just doesn't work out,_

_and everything I do and everything I try,_

_it never turns out,_

_it's like I need time to figure these things out,_

 

Sadly, the music in the room stops as Pepper enters the room.  

“Please don’t turn down my music,” Tonya says without much conviction as she knew it’s useless but tried anyway.

 

“You are supposed to be on your way to the other side of the world right now.” The genius looks up to see JARVIS’ display of the time. It’s just past 8am.

 

“Shit!” She leaps up and around to the door, she can hear Pepper’s shoes following her up the stairs. “How did she take it?” Tonya could practically feel the eye roll aimed at her back. 

 

“Like a champ. Tonya, since you’re here, I’d like to get a few things settled before I get you out the door.” They enter the hallway towards the entrance. She stops to give her friend and PA her full attention.

 

“Larry called. He’s got another buyer for the Jackson Pullock in the wings. Do you want it? Yes or no?” She asks, looking at her papers.

 

“Is it a good representation of his spring period?” Tonya teased, not caring either way, paintings were more Pepper’s thing.

 

“Um. No. The Springs were actually the neighborhood in East Hampton where he lived and worked. Not “spring” like the season.”

 

“So…?” She shrugged looking at her expectantly.

 

“I think it’s a fair example….I think it’s incredibly overpriced.”

 

“Buy it. Store it.” Pepper smiled at her which she returned.

 

“Okay, the MIT commencement speech-” Now she made a face, swirling around and out the door to where Happy was.

 

“Is in June. Please stop bringing that up. That’s not until way down-”

 

“Well, they’re nagging me, so I’m going to say that’s a yes. I also need you to sign this before you head out.”

 

“Wow, you’re really in a hurry. Got plans tonight?” She nods amused. Tonya pouts.

 

“I don’t like it when you have plans.”

 

“I’m allowed to have plans on my birthday.”

 

“It’s your birthday?”

 

“Yes.” Shit.

 

“I knew that… already?”

 

    “Yes. Isn’t that strange? It’s the same day as last year.” she teases. Honestly, sometimes Tonya forgets about that sort of thing. She doesn’t really celebrate her own birthday despite the extravagant parties Stark Industries and the Maria Stark Foundation host alternatively. 

 

“It’s a good thing I bought something for you in advance.” The look of shock on Pepper’s face sent a shot of giddiness down Tonya’s spine, happy she had done something right. “I’ll have Jarvis get it delivered to your apartment ASAP.”

 

“Thank you, Tonya.” Tonya grinned.

 

“You’re welcome, Pepper.” She signs the paper and gets in her (current) favorite Audi R8. Tonya decides to magnanimously allow Happy to get into the other car before peeling out of the driveway. She can practically hear the man cursing as he tries to follow. The car squeals to a stop outside Stark Industries where the Stark jet and Rhodey are waiting. He looked pissed. She turns to see Happy getting her luggage out of the back.

 

“You did well! I thought I lost you back there for sure.”

 

“You did Ma’am. I had to cut across Mulholland.”

 

“Ooh, good call.”

 

“You’re late,” Rhodey calls out.

 

“I’m sorry! It was only an hour. It could’ve been worse.”

 

“I don’t even wanna think of that.” She hears him grump under his breath.

 

“Well, we’re waiting on you now hun. Let’s go!” She calls from inside the cabin. An hour in, they’re seated across from each other at the table. Even though she watches Rhodey from the corner of her eye, the CEO directs most of her attention to Amanda, the stewardess that has been an outstanding employee for the past three years now. She’s beautiful and smart and knows her NDA backward and forwards.

 

As time goes on, the silence between her and Rhodey makes her impatient and a little needy (that could possibly also be the lack of sleep, but she liked to discount that). They have a routine for these long flights, and his anger at her is messing it up.

 

“Whatcha reading?”

 

“Nothing.”

 

“Come on Sour Patch, don’t be mad.”

 

“I told you, I’m not mad. I’m indifferent. Okay?”

 

“I said I was sorry.”

 

“You don’t need to apologize to me. I’m indifferent.” Tonya waves Amanda away. When she leaves behind the door to the Stewardess quarters, Tonya stands to undress down to her bra and underwear. “You don’t respect yourself, so I know you don’t respect me.” She shoots him a put upon look.

    “I do respect you.” 

“I’m just your babysitter,” he grumbles. This annoys her, but she doesn’t let it show. She knows what people say about their friendship. People way back when thought he could be the one to tame the “wild child” especially when they started dating - to keep you safe he once told her- all those years ago. Then her parents died, and so much other shit happened. So she drank away her pain. She shook her head, clearing maudlin thoughts. “-let me know, and I’ll get you a bottle and sing you a lullaby. Okay?”

 

“Speaking of lullabies. I’m gonna take a nap. It’ll be 0600 for them when we get there so come cuddle me.” She opens the bottom of the couch to a hidden compartment filled with pillows and blankets. She curls the softest one around her body and flops onto the other side of the sofa where the seats are wider. Tonya closes her eyes, pretending to fall asleep. Sometime later as sleepiness surrounds her, she hears movement. She smiles to herself as Rhodey curls up behind her, putting an arm around her.

 

“You’re more than what you are right now baby girl. You could be so much more.” he exhales into her neck. “I just wish you knew that.” She doesn’t respond, too close to sleep to think of what to say to that anyway. She’ll let him have the last say this time.

 

**Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan**

 

She left the jet well rested and dressed to perfection (Pepper’s version of business perfection anyways). Her unruly curly hair was artfully tousled and her lips no longer painted red but “nude.” There below the stairway, with Rhodey and the officials she has to impress, is a group of soldiers at parade rest.

“Welcome Miss Stark. We look forward to your weapons demonstration.” The General takes her hand gently but quickly grips her hand after she puts more strength into it. She’s been around men all her life. A wimpy handshake would not do for business transactions.

“Thank you, General.” She turns to the Afghani soldier behind him, offering her hand. “marHaban.” she greets in Arabic. In preparation for this meeting, she taught herself basic Arabic phrases before realizing that the majority of Afghanis actually speak Persian or Pashtu. She mentally crosses her fingers that she doesn’t insult anyone.

“as-salaam ‘alaykum.”

The speech before the presentation was a little stilted and totally sounded rehearsed, but she couldn’t be blamed for that. She didn’t do weapons presentations besides showing them to Obie or sometimes the Board of Directors. She spoke at galas and business conferences and ceremonies and parties. That was more her schtick, and she was quite happy with it; thank you very much. All of the sudden Obie is practically begging her to show off the Jericho missile all the way across the world. Thankfully, the missile presentation goes off without a hitch though. It impresses the big wigs like cats salivating over trapped mice. She makes a B line towards the stainless steel ice chest. It pops open and out comes a tray of glasses and bottles of alcohol.

“I’ll be throwing one of these in with every purchase of 500 million or more. To peace!” Tonya toasts as she walks away. Her phone beeps. It’s Obie video calling from his bed…half naked. It’s been a while since she’s seen that. “Obie! What are you doing up?”

 

“I couldn’t sleep until I found out how it went. How did it go?”

 

“Went great! Looks like it’s gonna be an early Christmas.”

 

“That my girl. Way to go! I’ll see you tomorrow yeah?”

 

“Morning my time or your time? Well, it’ll be my time when I get back.”

 

“Good night Tonya.” he hangs up on her just as she climbs into the humvee, shutting the door in Rhodey’s face.

 

“I’m sorry, this is the Fun-vee. The hum-drum-dee is back there.” She quips.

 

“You did a good job.” She smiles at him in thanks. “I’ll see ya back at the base.”Then the humvee in front of them blew up, and she didn’t end up at the base. Except she wouldn't get to see him at the rendezvous point because her convoy is attacked and she's pretty sure she's dying.

 

“Oh no.” She pants to herself as black spots invaded her sight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

**Somewhere**

 

 

 

_**Pain** _

 

_Ouch._

 

 

 

 

 

_Stop._

 

 

 

 

Human like blobs surround her.

 

 

_Don't touch me!_

 

                         

 

                           _Don’t_

 

 

 

_touch_

 

 

 

_me!_

 

 

 

 

 

She screamed incoherently…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_A_

 

 

 

 

_g_

 

 

 

 

_o_

 

 

 

 

_n_

 

 

 

 

 

_y_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Someone put a rag over her nose and mouth.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

. _Darkness_ ………………


	3. Chapter 3

Tonya snaps her eyes open the moment she awakens again. Something’s in her nose, in her throat. She fumbled for the object, finding a tube. She tugs it out. Gross. Wherever she is, it’s cold and damp and dark. There’s a light shining to her right. To her left a little distance away an older man stands by a post with a piece of mirror stuck to it, shaving. She moves to get up.

 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” cautions the man. Her hands catch onto a cable touching her. One side is connected to a car battery that sits on a table beside her cot. Panic wells in her as her hands trail up the cables as they come attached to her aching chest. She rips off the gauze, finding a crudely welled hole in her fucking chest.

 

“Where the hell are my boobs?” she coughs out. Tonya has never had much in the chest department, but she had an ample bosom she was pretty proud of. Another part of her brain chastised her for thinking about anything other than the huge fucking hole in her fucking chest! “What the hell did you do to me?”

 

“I managed to save your life. I removed all the shrapnel I could, but there’s a lot left. It’s headed into your atrial septum. I’ve seen many wounds like that in my village. We call them ‘the walking dead’ because it takes about a week for the barbs to reach the vital organs.”

 

    “What is this?” she gestures to her chest. 

 

“That is an electromagnet. It’s keeping the shrapnel from your heart.” He hasn’t looked at her since she bared her front out to look at his handiwork. She thinks it a little too late for him to think of her modesty but re-zips the sweater he had given her. She looks around. There’s a security camera in the corner of the cave somehow.

 

 

“That’s right. Smile. They are watching.” Things are silent for a moment as he fiddles with the slop in the pan. She takes a moment to survey him. He's middle eastern, balding, and on the skinny side just shy of unhealthy. Possibly starved but his three-piece professor suit is in good condition, and he's not too dirty considering they're imprisoned in a cave in a desert and he had admitted to having his hands in her freaking chest cavity.

“You look familiar,” she states quietly. Not entirely trusting but as she is in need of more information, she gives the man this. He smiles at her kindly.

 

“We’ve met once before at a technical conference in Bern.” she shakes her head.

 

“I don’t remember that.”

 

“No, you wouldn’t. If I had been that drunk, I would not have been able to stand, much less give a lecture on integrated circuits.”

 

“Where are we?” A loud sound came from behind their metal bolted door. A man yells in Arabic, but it’s nothing that she can make out. The bespectacled man quickly turns to her.

 

“Come on. Get up! Get up!” he whispers urgently. He helps guide her to a standing position. “Do as I do.” The doors clink open. “Come on. Put your hands up.” She mimics him as the jailers come through the doors. They walk through holding very familiar weapons.

 

“Those are my guns. Why do they have my guns?” She whispers, shocked and confused.

 

“Shh! Just do as I do.” One of the men steps forward, throwing his hands up in the air as he yells. She doesn’t know what he is saying, but she hears her name loud and clear.

 

“He says: ‘Welcome Antonia Stark, the most famous mass murderer in the history of America. He is honored.” The leader speaks again, gesturing to some paper. “He wants you to build the missile.” He hands over the paper. It’s definitely a picture of the Jericho missile before she launched it for the presentation.

 

There’s an expectant pause, waiting for her answer. She automatically wants to refuse, but a small part of her is petrified of what they will do to her if she does exactly that. However, there is no way in hell that she would build anything for them. She gulped nervously then tightened her jaw, resolute. 

 

“I refuse.” The leader’s eyebrows rose. Apparently, he understood what she said. He angrily says a few words and the men behind him separate her from the other scientist. She grabs onto the car battery just in time for them to scoop her up from under her arms and take her away.

 

They dunk her head into frigid cold water. The first time shocks her so much she inhales too much water and chokes. They grasp at her hair, pulling her up. She gasps once before they push her head back in.

 

_burning_

 

_wet_

_hold_

_up_

 

_**GASP**_

_down_

 

_choke_

_hurts_

_up_

 

_**GASP**_

 

 

_down_

_struggle_

__ _zap!_

_ z _

_ z _

_ z _

_ z _

_ z _

_ z _

_ z _

_ z _

_ z _

_ z _

_ z _

_ z _

_ z _

_ z _

_ z _

_ z _

_ z _

 

_                                                        **GASP** _

 

_down_

 

 

 

_again_

 

 

_and again._


	4. Chapter 4

 

 

 

She doesn’t know how long they do this, but when they are done, they throw her back into the room with the scientist and leave. He kindly helps her to the fire. Together they ring out the water laden clothes, and he inspects the stitches and machinery. He brings the cot closer to the fire and helps guide her onto her back. This treatment continues until they get impatient and decide to change it up. They put a sack over her head, guiding her away. Doors open and light floods through the small holes of the sack. She squints as they rip it off.

 

They’re outside the cave. There are at least a dozen other heavily armed men around, tents, and an alarming number of weapons cargo with the Stark Industries logo on them. The scientist cum translator steps out from behind her and the leader approaches. There is a smug smile on his face that makes her want to snarl.

 

“He wants to know what you think.”

 

“I think you got a lot of my weapons.”

 

“He says they have everything you need to build the Jericho missile. He wants you to make a list of materials. He says for you to start working immediately, and when you are done, he will set you free.” They both know that's not true. She nods at her captor anyway.

 

Their guards shove them back into the cave, The man keeps walking around, pacing as she sits silently in front of the fire. She has something of an eidetic memory and has been categorizing the types of weapons and tools her kidnappers had since they foolishly let her have a look.

 

“I’m sure they’re looking for you Stark. But they will never find you in these mountains… look, what you just saw, that is your legacy Stark. Your life’s work in the hands of those murderers. Is that how you want to go out?” She does not answer. Truth is, it's better than the drug overdose that almost took her out almost two decades ago. Or the weird dream she has of being strangled to death. At least with this, there is no shame to be painted by the media. “Is this the last act of defiance of the great Tonya Stark? Or are you going to do something about it?”

 

“Why should I do anything? They’re going to kill us either way.” she hisses, defeated. “And if they don’t, I’ll probably be dead in a week.”

 

“Well then. This is a critical week for you, isn’t it? Hmm?” It’s as if the words themselves had the plan clicking right into place at that moment. She had a plan. Or at least half of one. The next morning as the leader and his posse enter the room she has a list of things she knows he will be willing to get for her. By evening everything is settled and set up to her satisfaction. The next day she gets to work dismantling one of the bombs.

 

“How many languages do you speak?” she asks her companion.

 

“A lot. But apparently not enough for this place. They speak Arabic, Urdu, Dari, Pashtu, Mongolian, Farsi, Russian.”

 

“Who are these people?”

 

“They call themselves ‘The Ten Rings.’” She takes out the inner pieces of the bomb, setting it aside. “You know you might be more productive if you include me in the planning process.” She shoots him a wry smirk as she breaks apart another piece, throwing the bigger pieces behind her. Tonya holds up a small thin strip for him to see.

 

“What is it?”

 

“This is palladium, 0.15 grams. We need at least 1.6 so how about you break down the other 11?” He huffs a touch indignantly before doing as he’s told. It takes the rest of the day to just that. The next day, Tonya twitches nervously as he carries the molten metal over to the other side of the room. “Careful! We’ve only got one shot at this.”

 

“Relax. I have steady hands. Why do you think you’re still alive? Huh?” he chuckles. He pours the melted palladium into the cast.

 

“You say we’ve met before…what is your name?” she asks quietly.

 

“My name is Yinsen.”

 

“Nice to meet you Yinsen.” he looks at her. The derisive look he has worn since she first woke up in the cave was gone and replaced with one of intrigue.

 

“It is nice to meet you too.”

 

It takes the rest of the night for her to weld the rest of the project much to the opposition of Yinsen. She doesn’t know if it’s science kinship or some type of Stockholm Syndrome that has her trusting the older man now. When he comes by the next morning as she finishes, she tells him what it is.

 

“It’s a miniaturized arc reactor. There’s a big one powering my factory at home. This version should keep the shrapnel out of my heart.” his head swivels to hers in surprise.

 

“But what could it generate?”

 

“If my math is right, and it always is, then it should be 3 gigajoules per second.” His eyes almost bulge out of his head.

 

“That could run your heart for fifty lifetimes.”

 

“Or something big for fifteen minutes.” That’s when she shows him her blueprints. “This is our ticket out of here.” His eyebrows are scrunched together.

“What is it?” She presses the papers together, and he oohs and awes. They decide to implant the arc reactor sooner rather than later. It hurts but it’s nothing like open heart surgery sans drugs. She covers up her chest again, and they set up for the night.

 

“You still haven’t told me where you are from.” They’re laying in their cots, the only light coming from the fire and the glow of the arc reactor.

 

“I’m from a small town called Gulmira. It was a nice place.”

 

“Do you have a family?”

 

“Yes! And I will see them when I leave here. And you Stark?” She thinks about it for a moment. She’s an orphan. A pretty well-known one to boot. She wonders why he asks that if he knows her. She wonders if he means if she had a family of her own making. She had Rhodey whom she loved like a brother. And here was Obie who has been in her life from the very beginning. Then there’s Pepper and Happy who are the only friends she’s had for years, but they’re paid to be there aren’t they?

 

“No.” She sighs, conflicted. “But I…once dreamed of a family. Of what my family would look like. A husband who loved me and understood me. A daughter who was the perfect mix of us. His mother would take me in as one of her own daughters and a…a father in law who gave warm hugs. But that’s just a dream.”

 

“So you are someone who has everything and yet nothing.” That struck her like a knock to the head. She’s rich beyond means with the ability to do anything she wants and also get away with it. Yet, for all the fame and money and power, she didn’t have what she imagined Yinsen would have waiting for him.

 

“It would seem so.”

 

A few days later, as they are taking a break, the leader and his posse and some others come through the door. Then the leader steps to the side making way from another man even more menacing than him. She probably had to correct her assumption on the other guy being the leader.

 

“Relax.” the bald man says in English. They slowly put their hands down. He circled them like a predator does its prey.

 

“The bow and arrow was once the pinnacle of weapons technology. It allowed the Great Genghis Khan to rule from the Pacific to Ukraine. It was an empire twice the size of Alexander the Great and four times the size of the Roman Empire. But today, whoever holds the latest Stark weapons rules these lands. And soon, it will be my turn.” Then he starts speaking another language. Yinsen responds, and suddenly two men force Yinsen down on his knees. The leader takes hold of one of the welding tools still hot from use.

 

“What does he want?” she asks, but they don’t answer. She gets it anyway. He’s threatening him, bringing the hot tool closer. Yinsen keeps saying the same phrase over and over with ‘Jericho.’ He’s trying to tell them that’s what they’re building and they’re not buying it. “What do you want? A delivery date?” She comes forward, but his posse all train their weapons on her. “I need him. He’s a good help…I-I’m not as strong as him.” The man gazes at her for a moment before dropping the tool back where it was. Yinsen pants loudly.

 

“You have until tomorrow to assemble my missile.” He threatens the wordless “or else.” They all leave shortly after. Wordlessly, Yinsen and Tonya agree to work through the night. Morning comes with their breakfast thrown in through the doors, but they leave it untouched. Yinsen helps layer her in the hide and leather wear he had sewn.

 

“Say the words.”

 

“forty-one steps straight ahead. Then 16 steps. That’s from the door, fork right, 33 steps, turn right.” Yinsen connects the wiring and braces.

 

“Repeat it.”

 

“forty-one steps straight ahead. Then 16 steps. That’s from the door, fork right, 33 steps, turn right.” Yinsen assembles the metal pieces she had welded.

    “Everything alright? Can you move?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Then say it again.”

 

“forty-one steps straight ahead. Then 16 steps. That’s from the door, fork right, 33 steps, turn right.”

 

“Yinsen! Yinsen! Stark!” They hear coming from the slot in the door.

 

“Say something back. Say something back to him.”

 

“He’s speaking Hungarian. I don’t know Hungarian!”

 

“Nothing?” he makes a quick so-so gesture. “Just say something!” Yinsen nervously bleats out something. The man yells back angrily. He shrugs at her, at a loss. Then the doors blast open.

 

“How did that work?” She asks, curious.

 

“Oh my goodness! It worked alright.”

 

“It’s what I do. Now, initialize the power sequence.”

 

“Okay. Okay. Tell me!”

 

“Function 11 then tell me when you see the progress bar. You should be seeing it now.”

 

“Yes, I have it.”

 

“Press CTRL I, I enter, I and enter. Then come over here and button me up.”

 

“They’re coming!”

 

“Relax. Take it easy and get it done.”

 

“They’re coming,” he says again in a panic. He turns back to the computer.

 

“Make sure the checkpoints are clear before you follow me out okay?” he shakes his head.

 

“We need more time.” he turns to her. “I’m going to buy us some time.”

 

“Hey! Stick to the plan!” he runs off as she yells after him. She can’t see him, but she hears a machine gun fire. “Yinsen!” She could only despair as she watched the progress bar chug along. Once the initiation sequence was complete, the lights went out and a whirring sound engaged. She plowed through a hail of bullets and people and doors until finally reaching the mouth of the cave.

 

“Stark! Watch out!” She swerved her head out of the way just in time for a rocket to punch the side of the cave where her head just was. She grasps a similar rocket fixed to her mitt and fired it at the bald man. It hit the weapon stash behind him, burying him in its debris.

 

“Yinsen! Come on, we got to go.” The man didn’t move. He was ashen faced, and there was blood on his shirt. “Move for me. Come on. We got to stick with the plan.”

 

“This was always the plan, Stark.”

 

“No! You got to get up. You’re going to go see your family. Come on!” He shakes his head.

 

“My family is dead. I’m going to see them now Stark.” A small whimper made way from her throat. “It’s okay. I want this. I want this.” he gasps, blood wets his lips. She lets out a gasp of her own as she tries to fight back the tears.

 

“Thank you for saving me.” She blurts out.

 

“Don’t waste it. Don’t waste your life.” Then he closes his eyes for the last time. She wants to take his body with her. She wants to take it far away from this place and is furious that she can’t. The armor already weighed her down, and the combatants outside were arming themselves up for a fight. Tonya put the face plate back down and rose.

 

They start shooting as soon as they see the armor. The bullets continue to ricochet, and they run out of rounds quickly. Now it's her turn. She ignites the flamethrowers on both gauntlets. The flames lick everything in their path. She ignites every weapon every box, every case that she can and lets the rest do the work for her as they blow.

 

Someone has reached higher up as the bullets trajectory changes. One stray bullet gets lucky and hits Tonya's her arm. The sudden pain causes her to stumble, but she quickly gets back up. Adrenaline is very handy. Soon enough, the bigger bombs ignite and take out her opponents for her. She presses a red button on her arm, and the armor goes up into the air as the camp is engulfed in smoke and flames.

 

For a moment, the flying is actually really cool until one of the foot stabilizers blow, and she’s falling through the air. Fortunately, she lands in soft sand and not the edge of a mountain. Still fucking hurt. She's not too far from the mountains. If there are any stragglers from the camp, she does not want to be found. She ditches the broken pieces of the suit and runs in the opposite direction.

 

 

 

 

 

After a while, the heat starts to get to her. She was always cold in the cave, but the sun is practically baking her alive. She takes off her the button down Yinsen lent her and covers her head and shoulders. She continues on.

 

 

 

 

The mountain looks more and more like a hill by the time she deems it safe to turn the jog into a walk. The wind goes from an occasional breeze to a steady one which must mean evening is approaching. There isn’t any civilization around that she can see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

She keeps on walking.

 

 

 

 

 

  Tonya’s just starting to worry about what she would do if she did find civilization when two Bell UH-1N Iroquois sore over her head. She waves her hand in the air trying valiantly to get their attention. One of them turns around, and Tonya laughs in joy. She collapses onto her knees, spent. Then Rhodey and four other soldiers are running to her. 

 

“How was the fun-vee?” she chuckles although it isn’t really funny. He scoops her up in his arms. “Next time, you ride with me. Okay?”

 

“Okay.” It's nice to be in her best friend's arms again but he's clutching her just a little too tight, and she winces. He stiffens, pulling her away to check her over again. His eyes land on her chest. "My eyes are up here Platypus."

 

"What the hell-" he lets go of her gently, his hands reaching for the ripped clothes she's been haphazardly keeping over her bandaged chest.

 

"Those bastards!" he growls which surprises (and confuses) her.

 

"What?"

 

"How much time until the bomb goes off, Tonya?" His voice rises with urgency causing the soldiers behind them to start clambering around.

 

"Is there a cut-off switch?" She wants to guffaw, but her throat is so dry that it comes out as a cough instead. Rhodey swiftly undoes his water canteen. Tipping her head back gently, like a newborn baby getting her first bath, and giving her sips of water.

 

"I’m not abandoning you now, babe. Not after all this. But we gotta disarm that thing, and if-"

 

“Not… a bomb, not a bomb.” She croaks out finally. He looks again at the miniature arc reactor in her chest surround by mud and blood. His face is scrunched up in utter confusion, trying to make sense of it.

 

 

"Then what the hell is it?" This time she could laugh. It wasn't a pleasant one.

 

 

"It's a reminder."

 


	5. Chapter 5

 

 

**Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan**

 

Rhodey had kept her suitcase by his bed at the base, waiting for her to be found. He brought it to her bed in the hospital infirmary.She refused to allow anyone to examine her chest although they could see the glow through the t-shirt she wore. Not wanting to get on Tonya Stark’s bad side, they patched up the bullet hole in her arm, the knick on her calf, and the gash on her forehead before setting her up with an IV. The medicine was a relief from the ever-present pain she had been in since waking up in that damn cave.

 

“I just called Obadiah. He’s happy to hear you’re alive. So is Pepper. She’s going to tell Happy.” Rhodey announced, making himself comfortable at the end of her cot.

 

“The soldiers I was with when I was captured… did any of them survive?” Rhodey froze, and that's more than enough for an answer. She closed her eyes.

 

“What were their names?”

 

“Tonya, don’t do this to yourself.”

 

“Fine. I’ll just find out when I get back home.” He sighs, resigned.

 

“What happened Tones?”

 

“I wasn’t raped or anything if that’s what you're asking. It was this group called the Ten Rings. They wanted me to build the Jericho from the cache of Stark weapons they had.” She clenched her good hand, her fingernails tried to cut into her skin. Working in the conditions she was in left her hands chapped and worn and calloused. “I don’t want those weapons to be my legacy Rhodey.”

 

“It’s not Tones. It won’t be.” She shook her head. He wasn’t getting it.

 

“I don’t want to make weapons anymore.”

 

“…I know you’re going through something right now. Especially given that you were held prisoner for months but let's not be hasty. Let's just calm down and think this through. Bring it up again in a few days.”

 

“I’m just talking about the weapons. Stark Industries still does a lot for the military. Rhodey, I’ve finally realized that I have more to offer this world than just making things that blow up.”

 

“Of course you do. But Tonya, Stark Industries is a weapons manufacturing company. One of the best! Your company employs a lot of people and your products protect even more.”

 

“But they’re also hurting a lot of people! The Ten Rings had them. How many more terrorist groups do you think could have gotten ahold of them? What about ISIS? Boko Haram?”

 

“Anything can be taken or remade by others. The Cold war is a good example of that. How many spies tried to turn Howard Stark? How many tried to take him out of the race?” he countered, and of course, he had a point, but it was still a low blow. He knew how much she hated talking about the man. She closed her eyes, being very obvious in her feigned sleep. He sighed, patting her arm. “Just give it time. Everything will work out.”

 

 

 

**Beale Air Force Base, California**

 

 

     Rhodey insists on the wheelchair they want her to sit in on the flight over. The bigwigs cut Rhodey’s tour short by a few days. It’s for publicity’s sake, but she is grateful for it none the less. When the hangar door opens she spots two familiar figures a safe distances away. Happy is standing stiffly by the car looking every bit the severe bodyguard. Beautiful Pepper stands a few feet away, fidgeting.

 

    Rhodey moves to push Tonya down the ramp, but she shakes her head. Silently he helps her stand. It aggravates her that she feels so wobbly like she’s going to fall right out of her skin. She grasps his hand. Her hand is so familiar in his, but it’s nothing like Before. Working in the conditions she was in left her hands chapped and worn and calloused. She wonders if he too has noticed the difference. As they make their descent, paramedics come forward with a stretcher.

 

“No. Get rid of them.” She pulls out of his hold, suspicious that he would bring her over to them regardless. Then finally, she’s in front of Pepper. The redhead smiles at her. The whites of her eyes are pink, and there are tear tracks on her face. “A few tears for your long-lost boss?”

 

“Tears of joy. I hate job hunting.” she teases. Tonya smiles softly back at her.

 

“Well, vacation’s over Miss Potts.” She turns to Happy who still stands so rigidly. She and Happy have never been good with talking about emotions or really showing vulnerability. She nods gratefully at him before moving to the back. Pepper climbs in after her.

 

“Where to Miss Stark?”

 

“Take us to the hospital please Happy.” The redhead answers instead.

 

“No.”

 

“Tonya, you have to go to the hospital.”

 

“I don’t. I was checked out before we left. I’m fine.”

 

“Tonya-”

 

“I’ve been in captivity for three months. There are only two things I want to do okay? I want an American cheeseburger and…” Pepper shakes her head at her.

 

“That’s enough of that.”

 

“It’s not what you think okay... I just want to go home.” She refuses to look at her friend as she tries to stifle a sob.

 

“Okay, Tonya.”

 

“Cheeseburger first though. Actually, go to as many burger places we can on the way home.” Happy does exactly that stopping at Burger King, Carl’s Jr, Hardees, and McDonald's before making for the route to the Malibu mansion. She’s already taken bites out of each burger, mentally rating them best to worst.

 

“We’ve been getting calls from the DOB, FBI, CIA, and the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division.”

 

“That’s a mouthful.”

 

“Yes. That’s what I said.”

 

“I want to shut down Stark Industries weapons division.” Tonya blurts out.

 

“What?!”

 

“I’m serious.”

 

“Tonya, what in the -”

 

“I saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created to defend them! Protect them! I saw myself as part of a system that is comfortable with zero accountability, Pepper. I’ve become everything I hated in college. I’m a white woman enjoying proximal power from the association of white men and disregarding what is done in my name.”

 

“Even if you want to do this, the board will never go for it.”

 

“Then we’ll play it out. Be discreet. Refuse to make more weapons after the contracts are over. By that time we’ll be expanding into other divisions. Aeronautics, robotics, micro-technology. I have some ideas.” 

 

“You have never had the patience for discretion. Do you even know the meaning of the word?”

 

“Maybe I do now.” Pepper shoots her a disbelieving look. “Even if we do this, I want to shut down manufacturing of the Jericho missiles. Effective immediately.” Tonya takes a large bite of her burger. Hoping that will shut down any further discussion on the topic. Pepper exhales tiredly, already sounding like her old self.

 

“Obadiah is not going to like this.” She tells her. Like she doesn’t already know that. He was so excited after she pitched the presentation to General Gabriel before her kidnapping.

 

“I’ll talk to him. Don’t worry.”The rest of the ride they spoke on various topics concerning the business and Tonya’s own image separate of that. The first burger Happy got her was from Burger King and the first and second bite was like an orgasm in her mouth. She even cajoled both Happy and Pepper into eating a burger as well. Pepper has probably never eaten fast food in her life so she knew that she must have really missed her to suffer through it.

 

The half-hour it took to get to Malibu felt like forever. And if that was forever then the 3 months she had been missing must have been a millennium. Of course, being who she was and what her father did, kidnappings weren’t uncommon. Then there’s what happened after Howard and Madre died…. but that wasn’t anything to dwell on anyway.

 

Luckily, Tonya was able to convince Happy and Pepper to leave. She would see them tomorrow morning yadda, yadda. The lights blinked on with every step she took deeper inside. The fireplace roared to life, and the waterfall started to cascade. Holograms blinked on the large window of the living room showing the ocean beyond.

 

“Welcome Home Miss Stark.” JARVIS welcomed her.

 

 

    Tonya fell to her knees and cried.


	6. Chapter 6

 

**Malibu Mansion, 48 hours later**

 

“Pepper, how big are your hands?” Tonya called upon the mansion’s intercom.

 

“What?” came her assistant’s confused reply.

 

“How big are your hands?”

 

“I don’t understand. Why do you need to know this?”

 

“Just come down here. I need you.” Tonya readies herself in one of the benches she removed from her exercise equipment. Her shirt is off baring her now fucked up chest for all to see. She’s self-conscious about it which is annoying. She hasn’t been self-conscious of her body since she was 19 years old. Pepper steps into the room clearly freaking out. She’s staring at her chest.

 

“Oh God Tonya.” She shoots her a hopefully reassuring grin, but the redhead is too engrossed at the sight before her.

 

“Let’s see those hands, Potts.” She automatically puts them up. They’re clearly manicured, but her skinny fingers aren’t painted at least not noticeably. They’ll do perfectly.

 

“Ok. I just need your help for a second.”

 

“Is that the thing that’s keeping you alive?”

 

“It was. Now it’s an antique.” She holds up the newer one. “I’m swapping it out for an upgraded unit. I just ran into a little speed bump.”

 

“What does that mean?”

 

“Ah well there’s an exposed wire under this one, and it’s contacting the socket wall which …is not good.” She unlocks the mechanism keeping it in place and pulls the arc reactor out. Pepper jumps back, alarmed. “It’s fine.” She hands it to her, watches her hold it with care. “Just put it over there.”

 

“Oh my God.”

 

“So, I need you to reach in and gently lift the wire out.”

 

“Is that safe?”

 

“Should be fine. It’s like Operation. You just don’t let it touch the sides, or it goes ‘beep.’”

 

“I don’t think I’m qualified to do this.” Her cerulean blue eyes widened, panicked. “In fact, I know I’m not qualified to do this. I have a Bachelors degree in Business Administration from the University of Connecticut. Not a-a doctorate in anything medical!”

 

“Pepper Potts you are the most capable, qualified, trustworthy person I have ever met.” The look she gives her is probably one of the softest she’s ever seen on her PA’s face. “I really need your help Pep. Please?”

 

“Okay. Okay.” She instructs her to the washing station and one of the surgical gloves she had set out earlier. With so much care and caution, Pepper places her hand within the hole in her chest. “Oh, there’s pus!”

 

“It’s not pus. That’s the inorganic plasma discharge from the device. It’s not from my body.”

 

“It’s smelly!” she complained in a high pitch tone. Tonya tries to stay as still as possible. She can feel Pepper’s hand feeling around.

 

“You got the copper wire?” There’s a shock of pain. She shouts, and so does Pepper. The EKG monitor goes off in the background. “Okay. It’s okay. Now make sure when you pull it out that you don’t-” Pepper pulls the wire up, taking the whole thing out. “-take the magnet out at the end of it!”

 

“What do I do?” She moves it back over the hole.

 

“Don’t put it back! Don’t put it back!” She hurriedly places it on the tray.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“I’m just going into cardiac arrest ‘cause you yanked it out like a trout.”

 

“What? I thought you said this was safe!” She ignores that ‘cause she really didn’t say that though she might have inferred it perhaps. She hands her the new arc reactor. “Tonya.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“It’s gonna be okay. I-I’m going to make this okay.”

 

“I know you will.” she grits out. “You need to attach the wires to the base plate.” Pepper hooks it on and shoves it in. Pain stabs through her like a hot knife. They’re both panting by the end of it. “See? That wasn’t too hard was it?”

 

“Are you okay?” No. She really doesn’t. Tonya kind of wants to vomit or pass out or cry. Maybe all three.

 

“I feel great. Are you okay?”

 

“Don’t ever. Ever. Ever ask me to do something like that ever again.” She orders.

 

“That’s the thing though… I don’t have anyone but you.” Tonya mumbles, embarrassed. Pepper’s the first one to see this since Yinsen. Tonya refused to show the military doctors or officials or agents since coming home. Not even Rhodey and he has seen her naked so many times he’s immune. Pepper disposes of the gloves as Tonya cleans herself with a wet wipe and pulls on a shirt.

 

“What do you want to do with this?” Pepper gestures to the other arc reactor. She shrugs.

 

“Ah, destroy it. Incinerate it.”

 

“You don’t wanna keep it?”

 

“Pepper. I’m called many things, but sentimental is not one of them.”

 

“Will that be all Miss Stark?”

 

“That will be all Miss Potts.” Tonya doesn’t even realize that the other woman had taken the reactor with her, already taking notes from the procedure for JARVIS to file away.

 

-

 

Evening came quickly. Pepper had left hours before after a wave of new paperwork completed. JARVIS reminded the genius that sleeping was an essential human function and that she was coming up on 54 hours without said sleep. Relenting, Tonya went to get ready for bed and laid down at the respectable hour of ten o'clock pm.

 

It took her another hour to fall asleep. The California king bed was drastically different to the dirty spring cot that Yinsen had her sleep on.

 

"JARVIS put the temperature on to 24 Celsius." He beeped in affirmation. The air hiss overhead in the vents. Tonya moved to her side, cuddling one of the pillows for comfort. Pain flared through her ribcage, and she tried to ignore it. Turning over was useless, and sleeping on her front seemed like a Really Bad Idea. The only sure fire way to sleep would be on her back which frustrated her to no end. It got the job done though. She fell asleep soon after.

Then the nightmares emerged.

 

Tonya jerks herself awake, scrambling until she falls off the bed and onto the cold wood floor. She's gasping on air, struggling. It was just a dream.A figment of her overactive imagination combining flashbacks of recent events.

 

God, Her mind really does like to fuck with her.

 

"Miss Stark. You are in Malibu, California. It is 3 am Pacific time August 26th, 2005. It is 27 degrees Celsius and today's forecast predicts cloudy weather." It takes a minute to get her breathing under control. Cursing inwardly at herself, she stands on tremulous legs to the closet. Resolute in her need to get out of her head and the best way to do that, is heading to the workshop.

 

"Notify Pepper that I'll be visiting Rhodey today. Then working on a possible new project. Anything important can be sent via Email and flagged in order of urgency."

 

"And the new project Miss?" She ignores him, carrying on her way. She needs a blueprint before anything else.

 

 

**Beale AFB, California**

 

Tonya watches from a distance as Rhodey gives new recruits a tour of the planes in the hangar. She loves watching him like this. He stands tall, back ramrod straight in his military brand coveralls that are boring and ugly as sin but they don’t take away any of his decorum.

 

“I’ll tell you, in my experience, no unmanned aerial vehicle will ever trump a pilot’s instinct, his insight, and that ability to look into a situation beyond the obvious and discern its outcome, or a pilot’s judgment.

 

“Colonel? Why not a pilot without the plane?” She quips walking towards the group. The young men and women whisper excitedly amongst themselves.

 

“Well look who fell out of the sky. Miss Tonya Stark.” She waves, putting on her press smile.

 

“Speaking of manned or unmanned, you got to get him to tell you about Spring break 1987. Remember that. Spring break, 1989. That lovely lady you woke up with.” He’s shaking his head in admonishment, but he’s smiling, so she thinks it’s okay.

 

“Don’t do that.”

 

“What was his name? Miguel? Ivan.” The recruits laugh.

 

“They’ll believe it. Don’t do that!”

 

“Okayy fine.”

 

“Give us a couple minutes you guys.” They politely move on, talking amongst themselves. Her best friend turns to her. “I’m surprised. I didn’t expect to see you walking around so soon.”

 

“Doing a little better than walking.” She smirks, mischievous.

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah really. Rhodey, I’m working on something big. I want you to be a part of it.” He grins.

 

“See? I knew you’d change your mind.” That had her frowning.

 

“I didn’t change my mind. This project isn’t for the military.” The smile slips off his face.

 

“I don’t understand. You going humanitarian now or something?”

 

“Look, I need you to listen to me-”

 

“No! What you need is time to get your mind right.” She chuckles, trying to fend off the hurt. “I’m serious.”

 

     "So am I."

 

He backs up, looking at her warily like he doesn’t even recognize her. Maybe that’s true. He walks away slowly at first before turning his back to her. She stands there at a bit of a loss, dread wriggling through her stomach as he leaves her in more ways than one.

 


	7. Chapter 7

 

 

**Malibu Mansion**

 

Back in her lab that night, alone, she scans the rough sketches she made earlier and types out the codes for an animated model.

 

“JARVIS, are you up?”

 

“For your madam, always.”

 

“I’d like to open a new project file, index as Mark II.”

 

“Shall I store this on the Stark Industries Central Database?” She shakes her head, sadly.

 

“I don’t know who to trust right now. Until further notice, put it on my private server.”

 

“Working on that secret project are we?”

 

“Actually two. I’m going to need your help on the other one. Incognito, leave no traces kind of project. You up for it?”

 

“Of course Madam.”

 

“Let’s set up a sorting algorithm. Search all Stark Industries data between our manufactured weapons and contracts 2000-2008. Highlight all inconsistencies and their names, places, and dates. No one but you and I have access until further notice. Alert me when you are finished.” A hologram sprang up beside her head showing scrolls of data and scanned pdfs.

 

“Right away madam.”

Whenever she gets the chance, she’s down in the lab working on the Mark II. It’s coming along slowly but infinitely smoother than with the Mark I so she’ll take it. She wants it to be perfect. The algorithm hologram blinks out of existence as Pepper comes down the stairs.

 

“I’ve been buzzing you. Did you hear the intercom?”

 

“Yes.” she lied. Admittedly she had heard a buzzing, but it hadn’t really connected any dots in her mind, too focused on the Mark II. “Everything fine?”

 

“Obadiah is upstairs. What would you like me to tell him?”

 

“I’ll be right up,” she said as she stabilized the gauntlet on her hand.

 

“I thought you said you were done making weapons?”

 

“I am. This is a flight stabilizer, completely harmless.” That statement immediately backfired on her as she was thrown back. “I didn’t expect that.” Pepper helps her up, keeping away from the gauntlet. Obie is at the piano in her living room when she makes her way up the stairs. Tonya’s wearing a black compression top under her soft fluffy sweater. JARVIS and Pepper swear that the arc reactor can’t be seen, but she is wary none the less. Obie is her godfather, but sometimes the man makes her uncomfortable in his slightly sexist actions and infantilizing manners.

 

“How did it go?” He didn’t answer, but the box of her favorite New York pizza on the coffee table was enough of an answer. “Oh. That bad huh?”

 

“Just because I brought pizza back from New York doesn’t mean it went bad.”

 

“Yeah, sure it doesn’t.” She says sarcastically. She grabs a piece anyway because she really loved Ray’s pizza.

 

“It would have gone better if you were there.”

 

“Sure.”

 

“This was a board meeting Tonya.” She startled at that.

 

“A board meeting? For what?”

 

“The board is claiming you have PTSD. They’re filing an injunction.” Boom. There it was. The pizza suddenly felt like gravel in her mouth. “They want to lock you out.”

 

“But we have the controlling interest in the company.”

 

“The board has rights too. They’re making the case that you aren’t fit to run the company. Especially since you shut down manufacturing of the Jericho.”

 

“I'm responsible! The Ten Rings got a hold of the news that Stark Industries made a new missile. Of course, we should shut it down before it gets put into the wrong hands! I’m trying to be responsible and the company too.” He balding man raises his eyebrows. “I mean me on the company’s behalf being responsible for the way that-” she stopped herself. “You know what? Whatever.” She gets up, heading towards the workshop’s door.

 

“Oh come on Tonya.”

 

“I’ll be in the shop!”

 

“Tonya, listen.” His curls a hand around her hip, forcing her body to turn towards him. “I’m trying to help you, but you’ve got to give me something. Something to pitch them.”

 

“I don’t have anything yet.” he gives her a look. His eyes skirt down to her chest, and she knows the jig is up. “Who told you?” She looks behind him at Pepper, but she’s shaking her head. “Of course. Rhodey.”

 

“Let me have the engineers analyze it. You know, draw up some specs.” She steps away.

 

“No.”

 

“It will give me a bone to throw at them.”

 

“Absolutely not. This one stays with me! That’s it, Obie. Forget it.”

 

“Alright. Alright.” he acquiesces but for a moment. “You mind if I come down there and see what you’re doing?”

 

“Good night Obie!” she says and finally disappears from view.

 

 

-

 

 

The first time she put on Mark II’s faceplate and the HUD comes to life, she shivers in exhilaration.

 

    “JARVIS are you there?” 

 

“Always, Madam.”

 

“Import all preferences from home interface.” Blue code and graphs cover everything before her very eyes. It’s beautiful. “What do you say JARVIS?”

 

“I have indeed been uploaded, madam. We’re online and ready.”

 

“Can we start the virtual walk-around?”

 

“Importing preferences and calibrating virtual environment.”

 

“Check on control services.”

 

“As you wish.” The plates begin to move. “Test complete. Preparing to power down and begin diagnostics.”

 

“Actually do a weather and ATC check. Start listening in on ground control.”

 

“Miss Stark there are still terabytes that are in need of calibration before an actual flight is-”

 

“JARVIS. Sometimes you gotta run before you can walk.”

 

“That is certainly not the way the saying goes.” She ignores him

 

“Ready in three. Two. one.” And then she’s flying through the air. She swirls around flying out to the ocean. It glitters with the reflection of her suit and the night sky. Then she’s pushing out more, flying up like a rocket into the sky. “Let's see what this thing can do. What’s SR-71’s record?”

 

“The altitude record for fixed wing flight is 85,000 feet.”

 

“Records are made to be broken. Come on!” Above the clouds, Tonya can see the stars. Higher and higher she climbs when something on the HUD blinks in alarm.

 

“Madam, there is a potentially fatal build-up of ice occurring.” She shook her head as much as she could in the helmet, urging the thrusters to increase capacity.

 

“Let’s keep going!” The farther they went into the sky, the clearer the stars shone in their intensity. She kept pushing until one of the foot thrusters blew out. The HUD blinked and then she was falling.

 

   “We iced up JARVIS! Deploy flaps!” He didn’t respond. “JARVIS?”

 

    The lights of the city below her became brighter as she plummeted. She frantically started scrubbing at the ice building up around the suit with her gauntlet. Luckily one of the more significant ice patches crumbled off her chest plate over the arc reactor.

 

The suit powered back on thankfully as she passed the top of the highest building. She pushed the remaining thrusters back on, hoping beyond hope that by some miracle she wouldn’t become a pancake on the Santa Monica Freeway. She shoots through the air once again, cars honking in her wake. Tonya lets out a shout, laughing giddily. It takes only a minute to fly back home in the suit. She hovers above the roof, ready to land.

 

“Okay. Kill power.” All of a sudden she’s going through the roof, the living room, and basement garage landing on one of her cars. RIP Shelby Mustang. Not to be outdone, DUM-E comes over and sprays her with the ever-present fire extinguisher. JARVIS is apparently miffed at her for not heeding his advice as he silently disengages the locks on the suit, putting it away for the next set of configurations. Tonya pays him no mind as she cleans up, getting ice for the bump on her head.

 

It’s when she picks up the cup of coffee sitting on her desk that she does a double take at a package there. Seeing it’s from Pepper, her curiosity peaks, and carefully rips it open. It’s a glass case holding her old arc reactor. “Proof that Tonya Stark has a Heart” is engraved on the circular plate around it. A strange feeling of butterflies fills her belly. Okay, maybe she’s more sentimental than she let on. She turns back to her desk.

 

“Let’s get back to work then shall we?” The billionaire says to no one in particular, but JARVIS reacts anyways, turning on all of the monitors in the workshop. With the television on the background, she gets to work, looking at the latest blueprint and data from her flight.

 

“The main transducer feels sluggish at plus 40 altitude. Hull pressurization is problematic. I think the icing is the likely factor.” If her AI had a face she is definitely confident he would be giving her the most deadpan look to kill all looks.

 

“Very astute observation, Miss Stark.” sarcasm was practically dripping from his language processor. She wonders to herself if she made him this sarcastic or if it’s just something he picked up on as she is quite sarcastic herself. “Perhaps, if you intend to visit other planets, we should improve the exosystems.” She didn’t really intend to do that but improving the exosystems sounded like a good idea anyway.

 

“Have the systems Reconfigure the shell metals. Use the gold titanium alloy from the seraphim tactical satellite we did. That should ensure fuselage integrity while still maintaining power-to-weight ration. Got it?”

 

“Yes. Shall I render using proposed specifications?”

 

“Let’s go with that.” She watched on one of the monitors as JARVIS wrote out the commands for the alloy when she heard her name coming from the television.

 

“Tonight's red-hot red carpet is right here at the Disney Concert Hall, where Tonya Stark’s third annual benefit for the Firefighter’s Family Fund has become the place to be for L.A.’s high society.”

 

“JARVIS, did we get an invite for that?”

 

“I have no record of an invitation Madam.” She shrugs going back to the screen in front of her.

 

“- haven’t been seen in public since her return from captivity in Afghanistan. Some claim she is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress and has been bedridden for weeks.” That caught her attention again, and it rankled her especially with the board’s decision so fresh in mind. “Whatever the case may be, no one expects an appearance from her tonight.” JARVIS beeped at her.

 

“The render is complete.” On the monitor, an animation of the suit is painted gold.

 

“A little ostentatious don’t you think?

 

“What was I thinking? You’re usually so discreet.”

 

“I’m trying here.” she thinks to herself. She turns to her magic bullet, making a matcha smoothie when the red and black Roadster she had been working on “pre-cave” caught her eye. “Throw a little hot rod red in there.”

 

“Yes. That should help you keep a low profile.” The animation had colored the gauntlets, calves, chest, and back plates in red. JARVIS matched the color almost perfectly to the Roadster’s. “Render is complete.”

 

“I like it! Fabricate and paint it.”

 

“Commencing automated assembly. Estimated completion time is five hours.” She raced off to her suite picking up the newest suit that had been tailored to fit her new figure. Apparently losing your almost nonexistent boobs changed the sizes of your blazers and shirts. Who knew? She shook her head to dispel the feeling of grief and disgust and insecurity and busied herself with dressing. Finding a banging pair of shoes to wear was easy. Her 4 1/2 inch red stilettos were perfect to go with her cherry red lipstick. In the full-length mirror of her walk-in closet, she smiled seductively, blowing herself a kiss. Yeah. She could do this.

 

The billionaire handed the keys to her Audi over to the valet outside the Disney Concert Hall. She saw a few heads swivel as they recognized her. She didn’t stop to talk, just strutted her way down the carpet. People caught on quickly, and soon lights started flashing. She sees Obie talking to a journalist and makes her way over.

 

“What is the world coming to when a host has to crash their own party?” she jokes, smirking for the camera. Obie laughs his press laugh and gives her a once over. Ew.

 

“Look at you! What a surprise!”

 

“I’ll see you inside,” she says, giving him a kiss on the cheek which he returns.

 

“Hey. Listen, take it slow alright? I think I got the board right where we want them.”

 

“You got it. Just cabin fever you know?” Obie nods once consolingly before turning to the cameras letting her take her leave. She’s walking around, scanning the crowd when a man in a black suit comes to her elbow. She doesn’t recognize him as the regular security that the Maria Stark Foundation employs.

 

“Miss Stark?” She gives him a quick look, not paying him much mind. He’s an older fellow probably in his 40’s with tawny brown hair that’s thinning and a calm look on his face. He’s noticeably not wearing an earpiece.

 

“Yes?”

 

“I’m Agent Coulson.” That explained it then.

 

“Oh yes, the guy from SHIELD.” This noticeably threw the agent off a bit as he could not hide his surprise fast enough.

 

“What?”

 

“Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division. It’s acronyms spell SHIELD. Didn’t you notice?” He blinked a few times.

 

“Well yes.” there was an awkward pause as they looked over the room of people. She turns to the bartender.

 

“A glass of your finest pinot noir please.”

 

“Listen, I know this must be a trying time for you, but we need to debrief you. There’s still a lot of unanswered questions and time can be a factor with these things.” The agent says in a polite no-nonsense tone. Tonya doesn’t reply. Through a gap of dancers, she sees a cascade of strawberry blonde curls resting on the pale bare back of Pepper Potts. “Would the 24th at 7pm at Stark Industries work?”

 

“You’re absolutely right. Time is of the essence. Let me pop over to my assistant, Pepper, and we’ll call you.” She gestures with her glass to the woman across the room and leaves. She makes her way through the crowd, dodging hands and bodies trying to block her path. The dress Pepper is wearing is a blue satin backless dress. It drapes over her body as if she were a painting of a greek goddess.

 

“Pepper! You look fantastic!” She turns, a surprised smile gracing her face.

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

“Avoiding government agents. Is that the dress I got you?”

 

“Yes.” Tonya whistles lowly.

 

“I got great tastes.”

 

“Yes, thank you, Tonya.”

 

“You’re welcome. Come on, lets dance.”

 

“What? No!” she ignores her, gently taking her hand and leading her to the dance floor where a jazzy slow dance is played by an orchestra. Pepper huffs at her in exasperation but follows. They’re dancing for a moment at a respectable distance, and Tonya makes sure to not touch her in wrong places as the billionaire is won’t do with her dance partners.Still, Pepper feels tense in her arms.

 

“Am I making you uncomfortable?”

 

“No. No. I always forget to wear deodorant and dance with my bisexual female boss in front of everyone that I work within a dress with no back.” she twitters nervously. She grabs onto the sleeve’s of Tonya’s jacket anxiously.

 

“Don’t worry. You look great. You smell great.” She lefts out a breathy laugh. “But I could fire you if that would take the edge off.” Tonya teases.

 

“I actually don’t think that you could dress yourself without me.”

 

“Eh. I’d make it a week.”

 

“Oh really?”

 

“...Maybe.” they laugh together and the tight grip of Pepper’s hands' releases.

 

“Would you like to step out for some air?” Tonya asks. 

 

“Yes!” They quickly made their way to the balcony outside. They lean against the balcony wall overlooking the red carpet that thinning with guests and paparazzi.

 

“See? Totally harmless.”

 

“It totally was not harmless! Everybody who I work with saw-“

 

“Everybody was dancing. Nobody was watching. We- They’re just people Pep. We just danced. That was it.”

 

“It’s not just a dance! You don’t understand. You are the one that I danced with. And everyone knows how you are with girls…and boys. Which is fine but-“ She trails off, clearly struggling with her word choice. 

 

“Are you slut shaming me Pep?”

 

“No! I’m saying that… I shouldn’t dance with you. You’re my boss, and they’ll think…”

 

“I don’t think it was taken that way.” She continues as if she didn’t even speak.

 

“And I’m wearing this ridiculous dress!”

 

“It’s not a ridiculous dress. You rock it. Besides, it’s not like you want to kiss me okay? I know.” They’re no longer touching. The foot of space between them is like a wall of awkward tension.

 

“I’d like a drink.” She announces. Tonya pushes herself towards the doors.

 

“Ok! I’ll get you one.”

 

“Vodka martini. Very dry. Lots of olives. At least three.” She nods furiously as she heads towards the bar. Waiting for the drink, she sees a familiar woman walking towards her. Shit!

 

“Wow. Tonya Stark.” Tonya closes her eyelids to roll her eyes in annoyance.

 

“Hello.”

 

“Fancy seeing you here.”

 

“You too…Carrie?”

 

“Christine.” she corrects her expression stony. “You have a lot of nerve showing up here tonight. I’d like to get your reaction to your company’s involvement in the latest atrocity.”

 

“I’m here to help the Maria Stark Foundation with the Firefighter’s Family Fund. I’m not making any comments on anything else tonight.” The reporter places pictures on the bar.

 

“This is a town called Gulmira. Have you heard of it?” The pictures show the decimation of a middle eastern village. There are men carrying weapons and boxes with Stark Industries symbols emblazoned on them. It’s like looking at the Ten Rings camp all over again. The last picture was that of a smaller scale Jericho missile. She could feel nausea burning her throat.

 

“When were these taken?” Tonya demanded.

 

“Yesterday.” She shook her head, at a loss.

 

“I didn’t approve any shipment since my return.”

 

“Well, you’re company did.”

 

“May I keep these pictures?” the journalist goes to take them, but she stuffs them in her jacket.

 

“Here you are, Miss Stark. Sorry for the delay.” The bartender places Pepper’s drink by her elbow distracting her from her inner panic. She takes the drink and beckons Christine to follow her.

 

“Pepper. We got a problem!” She whispers urgently. She looks through the photos as Everhart tells her everything she knows.

 

“Oh my God, Tonya!” She gasps, putting a shaking hand over her lips.

 

“I’m going to talk to Obie.” Pepper grabs her arm as she turns to leave.

 

“No!” Christine and Tonya both look at her in surprise. She looks between the two of them, conflicted. “You mention any of this before we

speak to the FBI and you’ll be drowning in legal fees. Do you understand?” The journalist nods meekly in the face of Pepper’s fierceness.

 

“We’ll make a contract that you’ll be our first contact for interviews and news from now on in exchange for your current discretion,” Tonya adds, and the journalist’s eyes gleam.

 

Tonya left soon after, eager to work on the MARK II. Watching news footage on Gulmira is heart wrenching and infuriating. She integrates repulser blasts into the gauntlets that night.

 

 

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Explicit molestation does happen in this chapter. 
> 
> There will be warning ahead of time.

 

It’s 7 o’clock in the morning when JARVIS gives the okay that it is an appropriate time to call someone.

 

“This is Agent Coulson.”

 

“Hello, Agent. I might have something that SHIELD would be interested in helping me with. Is your schedule open today?” There is silence on the other side. He clears his throat.

 

“It appears I have most of my morning clear.”

 

“Good. We’ll meet at the FBI’s field office in LA at nine. I’d hate to have to go through this process twice. Thank you for your time, Agent Coulson. I’ll see you there.”

 

“Stark-” She ended the call, cutting off any chance for him to try and change things around. Her Aunt Peggy spoke highly of the organization she helped build but knew there were unfavorable attributes to being a spy organization. Nine am on the dot, Tonya Stark and Pepper Potts entered the building inhabiting L.A.’s FBI quarters. Agent Coulson and a tall black man greeted them.

 

“Miss Stark. Miss Potts. This is FBI Agent Terrance.” They all shook hands in greeting.

 

“Good morning ladies. We have a conference room set up down the hall if you’ll please follow me.” Once they’re all seated, Pepper lifts the purse she’s holding and takes out two small hard drives. She hands one to each agent.

 

“On these hard drives, you’ll find evidence of double-dealing, fraud, forgery, and money laundering by Obadiah Stane. All of which brings me to believe that my kidnapping by the Ten Rings was no coincidence.” Tonya discloses solemnly. The SHIELD agent’s face is expressionless, but Agent Terrance looks at her in alarm.

 

“The board has been filing for an injunction since I shut down manufacturing of the Jericho Missile.” She takes out the pictures Christine Everhart gave her. “These were taken two days ago in Gulmira. Why would there be a set of Jericho missiles in the hands of a known terrorist group, one that kidnapped me, when I had it shut down a month and a half ago?”

 

“Miss Stark, in light of this news it is integral more now than ever that we get your full statement on the happenings of your kidnapping and escape.” Coulson entreats. She nods in assent.

 

“I assure you that you will as long as my attorney is present. I am pressed for time today, but I felt it was my duty as a law abiding citizen to hand over this information as soon as I became aware of it.”

 

“Of course. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.” Tonya stood, and the rest followed.

 

“If we are not needed for any more questions currently then we should be on our way.” The men stammered as the businesswomen turned, making their exit.

 

“We need to cover our tracks from Stane,” Tonya announces once they’re in the car with Happy. “Arrange a party at the house in Milan for today.”

 

“Today?”

 

“Yup.”

 

“…Sure, Tonya. I’ll have JARVIS ping you when the jet is ready.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

 

 

 

**Milan Mansion, Italy**

 

By 8’ clock Pepper and she is walking up to the Milan Villa, bustling with party goers and staff. Dubai in the summer is boiling even to a Californian. Despite the air-conditioned abode, many people are wearing as little clothing as possible or clothes thin and sheer enough to also be considered clothes.

 

Pepper decided on a black dress that showed off her magnificent long legs and a white leather jacket. Tonya had a purple halter neck dress that conformed to her body like a second skin. “pre-cave” she would have wore something that divulged her breasts and made it obvious how she wasn’t wearing a bra. Showing off her arc reactor was not something she wanted to do. Not now. Hell, maybe not ever. So it made clothing that was her brand of scandalous hard for her. Good thing she had a really nice ass.

 

Tonya lost Pepper in the throng of the crowd but made sure to flirt and dance with enough people to have social media thriving. She found herself a hunky dude with brown eyes and a leggy blonde who gave each other looks as she took their hands and brought them upstairs. She took her time, kissing each of them between bouts of flirting. Insisting she’s never done threesomes before no matter what the press says and isn’t it awful the stereotypes are for bisexuals. The nerve! But.. oh they’re both so gorgeous she just… can’t help herself. They eat it up like their starving for attention, and they probably are. Which makes Tonya feel sorry for slipping out of the room once the lights are turned low and she tells them how she wants a show.

 

As the fireworks crack through the sky, Tonya takes off in the newly weaponized suit.

 

“JARVIS, set coordinates to Gulmira, Afghanistan. What’s our ETA with thrusters at maximum efficiency?”

 

“It’s at an estimate of 4 hours if calculations are correct.”

 

“Of course they’re correct, I did them didn’t I?”

 

“Indeed Miss. However, I do not believe it is wise to try this course of action at this time.”

 

“It may not be wise but it will be good. My weapons, my responsibility.”

 

“As you have said Madam.”

 

 

 

**Gulmira, Afghanistan**

 

 

They’re not too far from the town when the HUD reveals that one of the Jericho missiles were launched into the mountain near the village. The debris crashed to the Earth like a wave, leaving chaos in its wake. She landed just in time to save the life of a man with an automatic rifle pointed at his head. She punches the shooter as he aims at her,whirling around and blasting another terrorist into the building behind him and then two more after that.

 

Tonya raises both gauntlets, ready to fire only to find the cowards shielding themselves with women and children. She lowers her hands. The HUD maps out targets of the men holding weapons. With no possible casualties detected, she launches the militarized ammo at her shoulders and fires. They all fall to the ground like rag dolls. The civilians are clearly in shock and still frightened, unsure of what to make of her she thinks.

 

Abu Bakaar, right-hand man to the Leader of the Ten Rings had fled, but he was still close by. The civilians backed away, pointing to what used to be a storefront. She punches through the concrete like it’s water and pulls him out of his hiding place. His body skids to the ground. The group of men he had ordered to death surrounded him. 

 

“He’s all yours.” Tonya projected through the suit’s speakers. The sound was distorted and sounded nothing like her, but it did the job. As she flew away, the mob enclosed on the man. Flying around, she scanned for the weapons cache. A few klicks away from the town, the data beeped as scans found the spare Jericho missiles among piles of weapons. Just before she could launch an attack, something hit her shoulder taking her out of the sky.

 

Tonya’s not gonna lie, it hurt, but she was able to climb out of the crater and blast the tank that had hit her. The men kept shooting at her. She had no idea why they thought that if a tank couldn’t take her out, their bullets could so she ignored them, taking aim at the Jericho and additionally them. Job well done, she took to the skies. She’s just flying through the skies minding her own business when a call comes up on the HUD. Caller ID says it’s Rhodey.

 

    “Hello?” 

 

“Tonya.”

 

“Who’s this?”

 

“It’s Rhodes.”

 

“Sorry? Hello?”

 

“I said it’s Rhodes.”

 

“Speak up please.”

 

“What the hell is that noise?”

 

    “Oh, I’m driving with the top down.”

 

“Well, I need your help right now.” She guffaws.

 

“Funny how that works huh?”

 

“Yeah. Speaking of funny, we’ve got a weapons depot that was just blown up a few klicks from where you were held captive.”

 

“Well isn’t that a hot spot? So someone just came in and did your work for you?”

 

“Why do you sound out of breath Tones?”

 

“I’m not I just… my chest hurts,” she says, and it isn’t exactly a lie ok. Her chest always hurts but it’s not like Rhodey would know that right now would he? She hears him sigh in defeat. She tries to breathe evenly.

 

“You sure you don’t have any tech in that area I should know about?”

 

“Nope!”

 

“Okay, Good. ‘Cause I’m staring at one right now and it’s about to be blown to kingdom come.” He warned. Two fighter jets come up behind the suit.

 

“This is my exit,” she says before hanging up. She rolls the suit to the left to try and dodge them to no avail. “JARVIS, launch thrusters to full capacity.” A moment later she’s propelled through the clouds like a high-speed bullet.

 

“Inbound missile alert.” She deploys flares, blowing up the missile only to have her tumble a bit before she can stabilize herself. Then the jets are shooting at her. It’s definitely leaving dents in the armor. It has her decreasing the thrusters speed again. The planes pass her, and she attaches the suit to the underbelly of one of the jets, hoping to confuse them for a bit. 

 

“JARVIS call Rhodey. Kill all surround sound.” the phone line rings twice, and he picks up.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Hi, Rhodey it’s me again.”

 

“It’s who?”

 

“I’m sorry. It is me. What you were asking about is me.”

 

“No, see. This isn’t a game. You do not send civilian equipment into my active war zone!” Colonel Rhodes hissed into the phone.

 

“This is not a piece of equipment! Rhodey, it’s me!” Suddenly the jet rolls through the air, and her grips on the jet loosen enough to have her falling off and into the path of the wing of the other aircraft. She watches as the pilot ejects himself from the jet just before it ignites into flames. He’s falling fast. No chute releases causing Tonya to redirect to the pilot.

 

“You’ve been reengaged. Execute evasive maneuver.” JARVIS reports, muting the call with Rhodey that has gone silent. She ignores him as she finally reaches the pilot and punches the latch. The parachute opens, securing the pilots safe landing. She can hear a dull roar of cheers over the phone call.

 

“Tonya, you still there?”

 

“Yeah! Thanks!”

 

“Oh my god! You crazy bitch. You owe me a plane. You know that right?” he laughs softly.

 

“Well technically the plane hit me.” she laughs back. “Now are you going to come by and see what I’m working on?”

 

“No no no. The less I know, the better. Now, what am I supposed to tell the press?”

 

“Training exercise? Isn’t that what you guys usually say?”

 

“It’s not that simple,” he grumbled, indignant.

 

“Got to go honey bear. See you soon!” Tonya said before hanging up. Halfway through her flight back to California, she watched on the HUD as Rhodey gives a press conference and indeed says it was a training exercise gone wrong. If she giggles a little meanly at that then only JARVIS would know.

 

 

**Malibu Mansion**

 

JARVIS was struggling to take the dented suit parts off of her when the brunette heard glass being crushed under the clap of a shoe heel. She turned to see her assistant gaping at her, standing in the shards of glass that used to make up the glass wall between the stairs and the workshop.

 

“Let's face it. This is not the worst thing you’ve caught me doing.” Tonya blurted out.

 

“Are those bullet holes?” Pepper asked in a furious whisper, her face contorting in disbelief. “Tonya, what are you doing?” JARVIS plucks off the last piece, and she plops down to the ground.

 

“Simple, I’m going to find all of my weapons before anyone else can get their hands on them and destroy them.” Pepper crossed her arms over her chest, shaking her head in that familiar way she does when she thinks Tonya is doing something stupid.

 

“You know that I would help you with anything, but I cannot help you if you’re going to start doing this.”

 

“This isn’t some benefit or art opening. There aren’t any papers to sign that will magically erase all of the company’s mistakes. There’s just me. I have the power to do this. I can’t just leave this in the hands of someone else.”

 

“Then I quit.” she twirls around, walking purposefully to the stairs. It hurts to be shot down by another friend. Tonya really should have seen it coming. She clenches her hands.

 

“You’ve stood by my side all of these years while I reaped the benefits of destruction and now that I’m trying to protect the people that I put in harm’s way, you’re going to walk out?” Pepper whirls around.

 

“You’re going to kill yourself, Tonya! I’m not going to be a part of that.” She turned her head away in shame.

 

“I shouldn’t be alive Pep, but I am. There has got to be a reason why it was me and not…I’m not crazy, Pepper. I just finally know what I have to do. And I know in my heart,” she places a finger delicately over the arc reactor glowing from underneath her shirt. “I know in my heart that it’s right.” She doesn’t turn back to look at her listening for fading footsteps yet finds none.

 

“You’re all I have too you know.” Pepper confides softly.

 

“Forgive me, madams. Mister Stane has driven onto the property. Shall I call the authorities?”

 

“Not yet. For all we know, he doesn’t suspect anything yet.” She turns to Pepper. It would be the first time either of them would see the man since the Gala. The red head’s shoulders were tense and raised. The only sign that she was afraid. Tonya hurried over to her, taking her soft, delicate hand into her own rough one.

 

“Stay here. I’ll go up and talk to him. JARVIS will alert you if you need to go to the panic room okay?” She nodded rapidly and then all of a sudden her lips were on hers. It wasn’t a sexy kiss by any means despite the softness of Pepper’s lips. It was quick and hesitant even with the impulsivity of it. Tonya pulls back. 

 

“That was weird. Was that weird?” Pepper nods emphatically. 

 

“Okay. Glad it wasn’t just me.”

 

“It was like kissing my sister.”

 

“Agreed. Although, I don’t have a sister. But if I did, I would say it was like that.” Pepper chuckled a bit hysterically.

 

 

 

*Warning: Molestation happens here. Skip to next underline or Read at own risk*

 

 

 

“Noted.” Then it was quiet, and Tonya stepped around her, heading up the stairs. It was now or never. Casually looking around the open concept space, she couldn’t spot him, so she meandered through to her living room as if she did that every day. She’s an eccentric billionaire. It’s believable, right? She just sat down to pick up the television remote when her body seizes up. A high-pitched buzzing sounded in her ear. She feels as if her throat is trying to clamp in on itself. A body sits beside her, thigh to thigh.

 

“Easy. Easy.” mocked Obadiah. He holds up a small device a little bit bigger than a USB. “You remember this one, right? It’s a shame the government didn’t approve it. There are so many applications for causing short-term paralysis.”

 

His hand goes away only to come back to caress her cheek, moving her head to look at his smug face. She feels his hand touch her thigh, making it's way to her jean pocket where she always carries her Swiss Army knife. He takes it out and starts ripping up her sweater. Splitting it right down the center. Exposing her upper body to his slimey gaze.

 

“When I ordered the hit on you, I worried that I was killing the golden goose.” He picked up a metallic device that reminded her of a wing corkscrew. He placed it on her chest right over the arc reactor. She wanted to flinch, push him, anything to get him the fuck away from her. “But you see, it was just…” The corkscrew pumped in, grasping the mechanism. Tonya gasped in pain. “fate that you survived that.” The reactor came out followed by the wires keeping it attached to the socket. His eyes seemed to glow eerily. She felt tears slip from her eyes.

    “You had one last golden egg to give.” His free hand pressed the tears gently to her skin, making a trail down her neck and chest and abdomen. His eyes followed as if memorizing what she looked like. “Do you really think, just because you have an idea, it belongs to you? Your father, he helped give us the atomic bomb. Now, what kind of worldwould it be today if he was as selfish as you?” He pulled his arm up snapping the wires out. It felt like being stabbed. It was like her veins were burning from the inside out. He wasn't looking at her anymore, grinning at the bluish white light he just ripped from her chest.

   

     “Oh. It’s beautiful. Tonya, this is your ninth symphony. What a masterpiece. Look at that!” He waved it at her. “This is your legacy. A new generation of weapons with this at its heart. Weapons that will steer the world back on course put the balance of power in our hands. The right hands.” He moves away, calmly packing the reactor into a case. “I wish you could see my prototype. It’s not as conservative as yours.” She hears the case clasp shut and the man stands, walking sedately to the door. “It was nice knowing you Tonya.” Then he was gone, and Pepper was running up the stairs. She had the old arc reactor in her hands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*It should be safe to continue from here*

 

 

All the muscles in her body finally relaxed, no longer rigid. The brunette brought a hand sluggishly to her chest. Pepper hovered the tech over the hole and carefully placed her hand inside once again, connecting the wires. The burning pain didn’t stop instantly, but there was a noticeable difference once the reactor was engaged in the socket. 

 

“The FBI and SHIELD are on their way. JARVIS says they have put an APB out on his car.” Pepper gasped along with her. Tonya clumsily grabs on to her shoulders, hoisting herself up.

 

“That’s not going to be enough.” She staggers to the elevator. Pepper, as always, right behind her. “Stane was working on his own suit. That’s why he needed the arc reactor.” Pepper swore which was strange as she isn't the type to but considering the circumstances, she couldn’t exactly blame her. JARVIS has the suit prepared to be put together once they arrive. It took awhile, and her patience was running thin with her nerves all over the place. The urgency of the situation didn’t help.

 

“Anything I can do?” Pepper asked, wringing her hands together.

 

“Call Rhodey. Update him on the situation and tell him to keep the skies clear.” With that, she shot through the hole in the ceiling that she really needed to get repaired and flew. “How do you think the MARK I chest piece is going to hold up?”

 

“The suit’s at 48% and falling, madam. That chest piece was never designed for sustained flight.”

 

“Keep me posted. Where are the agents?”

 

“It appears they are pursuing information that shows Mr. Stane’s vehicle at SI’s headquarters.” she whirls around air, changing direction towards L.A. It’s dark out but the HUD comes prepared with night vision and spots five men in suits shooting at a chunky metal suit that’s almost as big as The Hulk. She aims for it, knocking them both through the side of the parking garage and onto the highway. Cars horns blare, and tires screech as their paths are blocked or changed. A minivan with a family inside slams to a halt in front of Obadiah. He picks up the car, carrying it over his head. Tony can see the little faces of children screaming.

 

“I love this suit!” State laughs in delight.

 

“Put them down!”

 

“Collateral damage, Tonya.” The suit stomps forward.

 

“Divert power to the chest RT.” she orders her AI. She fires. Stane is thrown back, she catches the car as he drops them. She-as carefully as she could-places them back on the road and is subsequently run over as the lady puts the pedal to the metal and takes off. The behemoth of a suit hops over grabbing a motorcycle off the street to use as a projectile and swings it at her. She knocked to the other side of the highway where a bus is stopped, and people are clamoring out.

 

“I’ve been holding you up for thirty years!” He stomps on her, trying to crush her. “I built this company from nothing!” she moves out of the of the boot when he goes to stomp on her again. He picks her up by the helmet. “Nothing is going to stand in my way.” He throws her into the bus, thankfully now devoid of its occupants. “Least of all, you.” Then he aims a missile at her and fires. The blast sends her into the air. She rights herself with the flight stabilizers. “Impressive! You’ve upgraded your armor! I’ve made some upgrades of my own.” Then his boots seem to be on fire, and he’s lifting into the air. They’re rockets.

 

“Miss Stark, it appears that his suit can fly.” She rolls her eyes.

 

“Duly noted. Take me to maximum altitude.”

 

“With only 15% power, the odds of reaching that -”

 

“I know the math! Do it!” They’re both flying over the city. The lights becoming little glimpses in the night.

 

“13% power.”

 

“Climb!”

 

“11%.”

 

“Keep going.” The sound of the wind starts to invade the helmet.

“7%.”

 

“Just leave it on the screen. Stop telling me.” Stane is close enough to grab onto one of her boots, yanking her back. She can see the ice forming on his suit. He punches her as she struggles to get free.

 

“You had a great idea, Tonya, but my suit is more advanced in every way!” She grins triumphantly.

 

“How did you solve the icing problem?”

 

“Icing problem?” he asks before the lights in his helmet go off.

 

“Yeah. Might want to look into that.” She thumps him on the head and watches as his suit plummets. She has a moment to celebrate before she too starts to descend.

 

“We are now running on emergency backup power.” JARVIS apprises. There’s no icing that she can see and the gauntlets keep punching out, but it’s enough to make a safe enough landing on the roof of SI. It’s something she still has to work on, but practice makes perfect. The roof practically shakes as Stane lands behind her.

 

“Nice try!” Then he punches her in the face again. When she tries to punch back, he grabs her by the waist with both gauntlets and squeezes.

 

“Weapons status?” she asks JARVIS.

 

“Repulsors offline. Missiles offline.”

 

“Flares!” She fires them. They get her out of his grip. One flare hits his HUD giving her enough time to hide. “Call Agent Coulson.”

 

“Stark?”

 

“Nothing is working against the suit. I need you to go to center console, open up all the circuits. When I get clear of the roof, I’ll let you know. Then you’re going to hit the master bypass button. It’s going to fry everything up here.”

 

“Stark! Are you sure?”

 

“I’ll buy you some time.” Then she’s jumping onto the back of the bigger suit and ripping out a wire. The suit’s abnormally large arms throw her off and onto the glass right over the giant arc reactor powering the building.

 

“I never had a taste for this sort of thing,” Obadiah shouted as his head emerges from the suit. “But I must admit, I’m deeply enjoying the suit.”

 

“You’ve finally done it! You’ve made your father proud!” he taunts. Tonya sneers up at him. She had long since given up trying to be anything for her Howard Stark.

 

“Ready when you are Stark.” Agent Coulson voices. Gunshots ring out. The glass beneath her shatters. Tonya’s hands grip the metal framing.

 

“How ironic Tony! Trying to rid the world of weapons, you gave it it’s best one ever.”

 

“Coulson!”

 

“And now I’m going to kill you with it!”

 

“Hit the button!”

 

“Stark, you’ll die!” She looks down at him, giving him her fiercest look.

 

“Do it!” The force of the powerful beam knocks her away but encases the metal encased man. The sky lights up like something out of a sci-fi movie before blinking out of existence. Stane limp body falls through the roof as his he hits the arc reactor, it blows up in flames bigger than any bomb Tonya has ever seen. It’s the last thing she sees before her heavy eyelids close, and oblivion takes hold.

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

 

 

**Stark Industries Conference Room, California**

 

Then next morning has Pepper Potts helping Tonya Stark get ready for the press conference about the “Incident at Stark Industries” as the LA news channel is calling it. Various newspapers that litter the coffee table are more focused on the being they have dubbed as ‘Iron Man.’

 

“It’s kind of catchy, isn’t it? Iron Man. Has a nice ring to it.” She tells Pepper. “I mean it’s technically not accurate. The suit is a gold-titanium alloy. But it’s kind of evocative, the imagery, anyway.” Agent Coulson (whom she didn’t realize was even in the room) brandished some note cards.

 

“Here is your alibi.” She eyed him suspiciously as Pepper takes the cards and puts them in her hands.

 

“Okayyy.”

 

“You were on your yacht. We have port papers that put you in Avalon all night and sworn statements from fifty of your guests. Just read it, word for word.” She reads through the cards, and something stands out.

 

“There’s nothing about Stane here.”

 

“That’s being handled. He’s on vacation. Small aircraft have such a poor safety record.”

 

“But what about this whole cover story that it’s a bodyguard?” she asks incredulously. “That seems kind of flimsy, don’t you think?”

 

“This isn’t my first rodeo, Miss Stark. Just stick to the official statement, and soon this will all be behind you. You’ve got 90 seconds.” Once he left the room, the two women turned to each other.

 

“Is Christine ready?”

 

“Yes, Miss Stark.”

 

“Then that will be all Miss Potts.” She turns to walk away, but Pepper’s hand on her arm stops her. She looks troubled.

 

    “Tonya… we’ll know it's you. Rhodey and I. Can’t that be enough?” Tonya drew back as if she was hit. They’ve been through a lot together, running a weapons manufacturing company with a female owner and CEO. They’ve trudged through mocking faces and press, jumped over every barrier they’ve come across. She couldn’t understand why her friend could not see this as just another thing they would try to take away from her. Toni looked her dead in the eyes. 

 

“I haven’t hidden anything about myself since I was nineteen years old. I’m not going to start now.” With that, she spun on her heel and marched towards the podium. Rhodey was wrapping up his details about the military’s involvement in ‘the incident.’ His eyes flicked to her, stressed. Well, his day was just gonna get even more stressful.

 

“Hello. It’s been a while since I’ve been in front of you. There’s been some speculation that I was involved in the events that occurred on the freeway and the rooftop. This would be correct.” The sounds of cameras snapping grew louder and voices rose. “It has been discovered recently that Obadiah Stane had been making deals under the table to terrorists that led to my capture and what would have been my murder. It was in their cave that I built the first Iron Man armor.

 

When I got back in the states, I upgraded the armor. Somewhere along the way, Obadiah had gotten ahold of these plans and made a suit of his own. Mr. Stane became intoxicated with the power of his creation and cared little for the safety of the Americans on the freeway that evening. Who the media dubbed as ‘Iron Man’ redirected him to the empty SI building where special agents were located to apprehend Stane only for a live wire in his prototype to catch with the arc reactor, causing him to be electrocuted. He died on scene.”

 

“Miss Stark! Who is Iron Man? Do you honestly expect us to believe that that was a bodyguard in a suit?” Tonya’s perfectly painted hot rod red lips lifted into a sarcastic smile.

 

“Well, I could say I’m Iron man, but I’m not sure that’s believable either.” Laughter rose in the audience. She put a hand to her chest. “I’m wounded. Really.” she jests. Tonya steps away from the podium, waving goodbye before leaving entirely.

 

“What the hell was that?” Rhodey whispered hysterically at him.

 

“That Platypus was telling the truth in a way that isn’t believed. Clearly, I am a woman so of course, the majority of the world would think it absurd that a woman would have that moniker.” She shrugs. “Then one day, when there actually is evidence that I’m Iron man. All we have to do is go back and say that I never lied nor did I hide the fact that it’s me.” Rhodey looked reluctantly impressed. She clapped a hand on his back. “Come on, let's go take Pepper and Happy out for sushi. I’m in the mood for some nigiri.” 

 

-

 

Hours later, Tonya entered her home to find everything pitch black. Her senses heightened. Since returning from Afghanistan, she made sure to have as much light as possible, wary of the shadows around her.

 

“JARVIS!” she called out.

 

“Welcome home Miss Stark.” Her AI replied in a fragmented tone as if he was rebooting after a maintenance check. She hadn’t scheduled one nor had he informed her of any discrepancies. She slowed her steps. By the window overlooking the LA city skyline stood a figure.

 

“Do you think you’re the only superhero in the world?” The hoarse voice chuckled. The figure moved closer to the light of the lamp. “Miss Stark, you’ve become part of a bigger universe. You just don’t know it yet.”

 

“Do enlighten me, Director Fury. Why are you here?” His face doesn’t show any sign of surprise that she knew who he was. A part of her wonders when he knew that she knew. Was it Agent Coulson’s recent discovery or had Aunt Peggy told him all those years ago?

 

“I’m here to talk to you about the Avengers Initiative."

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> I'm hoping to put up a sequel soon and maybe if I'm bored enough and work permits, I'll end up working on a series. I'd love to hear what y'all think and would like Tonya to explore.


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